System and method of low temperature thin film deposition and in-situ annealing

Abstract

Systems and methods of forming a thin film on substrate includes positioning the substrate in a chamber; generating, via a uniform microwave field generator, a microwave field around the substrate; and guiding radicals into the chamber so that plasma is generated about the substrate to form the thin film on the substrate.

Having thus described various embodiments of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following: 
     
       1. A method of forming a thin film on a substrate, the method comprising:
 positioning the substrate between two plates in a chamber, each of the two plates including a layer of semiconductor material that increases in electrical conductivity with increases in temperature; 
 rotating the two plates and the substrate about an axis along a diametric line of the substrate; 
 generating, via a uniform microwave field generator, a first microwave field around the two plates so that an electric field is formed between the two plates with the substrate positioned in the electric field; and 
 guiding radicals into the chamber so that plasma is generated about the substrate to form the thin film on the substrate. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising maintaining a pressure in the chamber within a predetermined range via a first stage of a dual stage pressure control system. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the radicals are guided into the chamber via a second stage of the dual stage pressure control system. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the second stage is isolated from the first stage of the dual stage pressure control system. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the predetermined range is about 1 torr to about 10 torr. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising generating the radicals by exposing a gas to a second microwave field. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the radicals are generated via a remote plasma source. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the remote plasma source comprises a microwave choke configured to isolate the chamber from the second microwave field. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the gas comprises hydrogen and the first microwave field heats and removes hydrogen dipoles from the thin film. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the gas comprises dinitrogen. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising maintaining the substrate at a temperature less than 175° C. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a plurality of silicon wafers. 
     
     
       13. A method of forming a thin film on a substrate, the method comprising:
 positioning the substrate between two plates in a chamber, each of the two plates including a layer of semiconductor material that is electrically conductive above a temperature; 
 rotating the two plates and the substrate about an axis along a diametric line of the substrate; 
 generating, via a uniform microwave field generator, a first microwave field around the substrate to heat the substrate to a temperature less than 175° C. and to induce an electric field between the two plates; 
 exposing a gas to a second microwave field, via a remote plasma source comprising a microwave choke configured to isolate the chamber from the second microwave field, to generate radicals; 
 maintaining a pressure in the chamber within a predetermined range via a first stage of a dual stage pressure control system; and 
 guiding the radicals, via a second stage of the dual stage pressure control system isolated from the first stage, into the chamber to form the thin film on the substrate while the first microwave field selectively heats hydrogen dipoles, thereby removing the hydrogen dipoles from the thin film. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the gas comprises dinitrogen. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the gas does not comprise hydrogen. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the predetermined range of the pressure inside the chamber is about 1 torr to about 10 torr.